Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-01-07
THE BRADFORD, W., POST OFFICE.
An Enraged Communication the Demo
cratic Boss Manages Matters-yiew
of the Case by an Honest Out
side nemOcrnt.


received the appointment of postmaster.
Last Saturday we took a bottle of oil and /
went down there to see if it were possible |
to produce II calm by pouring oil upon
the troubled waters But it was of no
avail.
Bradford is Il democratic town and the
democrats there have had great confidence
in the administration proposed desire to
administer the government in the interest
and according to the desire of the people,
which can be done only by learning what
the desire of the people is They have
also had almost childlike confidence in
Smalley and Atkins, whom they have
looked upon as faithful helpers in carry
ing ont the desires of the administration
In the appointment of Mr.. Dickey they
feel outraged and are open in the charge
that they have been betrayed by some
body, and incline to lay it wholly to Mr.
Atkins.
We will give brief history of this case
which will assist the reader to draw his
own inference as to where the blame
rests After Cleveland was elected Dickey
wanted to he district attorney. As Atkins
was chairman of the state democratic
committee he went to him for endorse
ment. Atkins was mot ready and it was
agreed that Dlckey should return home,
and that both should remain quiet until
second meeting, when Atkins would be
able to reply. When Dickey saw Atkins
the next time he asked for his decision,
and was informed that Atkins could not
endorse him. Dickey then pulled his pa
per and exhibited names which he thought
would do very well without Mr.. Atkins
name He had secured the endorsement
of all the supreme court. excepting one,
Minister Edward j. Phelps, of the major
ity of the bar on this side of the state, and
| - in slfD ~
Meantime Atkins. had pledged his sup
port to Pltkin of Montpelier. who had re-
| Gently come over the mugwump bridge
| into the democratic party. 1t seemed to
he a draw game Atkins was unable to
| get so respectable an endorsement as
! Dickey had obtained, and Dckey was un-
able to pull i'll without the signatures of
Smalley and Atkins. Thus the matter
| has stood in Il sort of calm for nearly two
years until Dickey was appointed post
master This broke the calm and pro
! duced Il surprise like that which follows
thunder from Il clear sky. Dckey him
self expressed surprise, but was not mad.
! Nearly everybody else was surprised and
mad too. Probably no appointment could
have been made in Bradford and given
more olfenee than Dickey's appointment
as postmaster.
Immediately following the appointment
Henry Winship wrote to Atkins and ask
ed "Was \. NJ. Dickey appointed post
master here to get him out of the district
attorney race p Atkins answered in the
negative, and affirmed that Dickey was
not a formidable competitor"
Wnship thcr. wrote again and, after
abiding to a promise 10y Atkins that moth
ing should be done in relation to the Brad
ford postotlice without his (Winship's)
knowledge, and that he should be notified
and heard when the time came to act, he
then propounds the following conun-
drums
AT what time. or ahout what time. did you
, become aware that th name of \. VI. DickeN
was being considered for p NJ. nj this place
by whom was the name presented 20 the APP.
pointing power-parduu my lgnOrancc-ant
| was it presented to the president or =. NJ
geera Ia" mar, tb IN lne pn
: of Jones and Clark considered If so, wher
and what concius on was reached in relation
to them And If not considered, why not
, And finally, knowing how many warm per
sonal friends you have here how could you al
, low Hsuch an outrage to hc put upon on
: community without even giving us II chance
to protest ~
70 Atkins's replies are somewhat evasive
= He remembers something about beint
asked if half dozen prominent Bradford
democrats could not be- allowed to deter
mine who should be postmaster, declined
to promise, but said something similar,
etc. He did not answer how long he haC
been aware that Dickey's name had beer
considered for the place. Doubtless h
| considered that "Ieading.' He did no
- know who presented the name TO tn
president, but inclined TO think it was tn
l. postmaster general. He had no doubt tn
: petitions of Jones and Clark We're con
r. sldered, and thought perhaps Dicke
might nave come in as "a dark horse,
- because those two candidates divided tn
t public sentiment. He then asks 81
d Col. Dickey is so unpopular, why has h
l. ALWAYS headed the Bradford delegation t
lL.fa #. fI.ar1 re "a "a
NJ. general the right to think he is nc
unpopular but that he is the man Brac
IL ford democrats delight to honor. You a
e home are the ones to blame.
l. Atkins has always known of Dickey
i uupopularity in Bradford, and his cor
~ Guiding sentence above Is adding insult t
:, injury. Although his name may nowheT
: appear in the papers securing this appoln
# ment, Atkins car never make Bradtor
- people believe that he is not responsible
% tor it, Atkins was pledged to Pltkin' an
- DickeV with his better Endorsement, WA
- in the way. Wasn't it in the direct lin
}, of Atkins's interest and wishes to dispos
~ of Dickey in some way ana make the WA
N clear for his man Pitkin He does nj
- answer Winship's question rs to how lon
-, | Dickey's name had been considered 10
W postmaster. He would rather appear Il
= among those surprised at the appoin
= ment John G. StearnS knew last Jul
-, that Dickey was to be the man, AMI d
~ information came direct from Smalel
-, Stearns told Postmaster Garfield in Jul
~ that he could name his successor, bu
~ wouldn't as his information came throug
= confidence. But Stearus chuckled as h
IN told Garfield that Bradford democrat
~ would soon get IA surprise which woul
~, make them howl with rage. The surprii
y came and the howl followed as StearI
NJ intimated. Now, If this was know
~ months ago, why were not Bradford pee
az pie consulted according to previous III
-. derstandng Because Pltkin was IN Il
80 way. pitkin was of more consequence
~ the appointing power than the entire COZ
ooyr muuity at Bradford. Why We're the pet
=, tons of Jones and of Clark, which DO
- all the names in the village, ignored, al
~ the appointment given to a man who hi
ba no petition and could get none for IN
W position in Bradford Pitkin was IN q
nj way.
~, Col Dickey read law with Postmastt
nt general Villas : father, and it is lntmat
he that Villas sent Dckey the appointment
70 his own notion. But no one in Bradto
- ii WILLING tn believe that he would ma